I can't imagine why there isn't so much as even ONE review here. I've never seen that before.
So I decided someone must add one. Guess that leaves me.
At any rate, I hope it's not too much a spolier to add that if you've lived long enough, you can identify with the film in some serious way. I can't imagine what void must be in your life if this fails to resonate with your heart.
I think at some point, all families face tragedy, crisis & defining moments.
We've had a few but by far, our/my biggest one was losing a brother in an accident when he was 16. It's unimaginable when unexpected sorrow greets you & a learning experience to see how all the family members and friends respond. It's both heartbreaking & surprising. One never can be sure what's going through another head at any given time. It vascillates frequently. That leads to so much, which this story surely indicates freshly & without manipulation.
It's a journey. Certainly one I wish to visit upon no family.
I thought they explored themes all of us are familiar with, loss or no loss.
Guilt, family dysfunction, suffering, death, love & life. Honestly & unabashedly.
It's well acted, well scripted & finely tuned. No easy task to get all things right.
I think it's likely to stay with you long after the credits roll. Shows how much we all impact each other but again, a universal theme involving also the fallout of sheer agony & pain, what we endure as well as inflict on one another.
The young man starring in this had the most expressive face & eyes, I was riveted by his performance & his seemingly-artful understanding of this role.
All the prominent actors not missing a note on their mark.
I must admit here, I took ONE simple star off due to the VERY ending (and again, don't wanna spoil anything) but I was thinking it concluded (with person in the shot, standing next to him) in a manner I didn't care for or imagined to sum up this story.
But again, that was me & how I interpreted that scene.
I think others might find it more ambigious & yes, I hope that's the case.
One certainly can be made that it is, if you replay it & closely listen to the precise words being heard by our protagonist.
All the same, I prefer them to conclude this diffiicult, but exemplary, narrative as it should, with utter clarity & an unmistakable positive resolution---again, meaning to me, exactly as I feel the plot is " leaning into" all the while.
For one thing, these wonderful characters are more than deserving some small piece and measure of peace, unity, happiness & HOPE.
And yes, you will know exactly what I mean once you see it, as well.
Secondly, though it wasn't presented in a perfectly linear fashion, it wasn't, in the least, confusing to follow. Not that I have trouble in that area (unless overly, deliberately, confounding construct), but worth mentioning as they maneuver seamlessly, this particular machination intricately weaving the tale expertly.
I felt afterward it was the perfect device to utiliize & in fact, behooved the story's plotline.
I think you will be very hard pressed to find a moment that could've been edited nor will you find yourself bored or lacking interest for a mere second.
I hope all the persons involved with this film went on to do far more, both the writers & the actors--and yes, I will look into that next-- because if not, that would be an egregious & incredible waste of enormous talent.
I always most appreciate Danish films (2012 "The Hunt") for good reason. Know that THIS is no exception.
Hope you also take this ride;, the story is unmistakably relatable & human.
